


The Secret of the Misplaced E

by Dawnwind



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 19:44:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11812914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnwind/pseuds/Dawnwind
Summary: Spelling is difficult, but reading is a life long hobby.





	The Secret of the Misplaced E

Hutch looked up from the case files as Starsky pushed the typewriter carriage bar over with a loud chime, typing as if he couldn’t spell fast enough. Chuckling, Hutch reached for the coffee cup more on Starsky’s side of the desk than his.

“This yours or mine?” 

“Forgot.” Starsky shrugged, peering at his report. “Done!” he declared, yanking it out of the typewriter. “There, read it before Dobey gets a hold of it or I’ll get another spelling lesson.”

Hutch plucked the paper out of his partner’s hands, scowling when Starsky drained the coffee cup before he had a chance to drink any. “Suspect was one Juan Baptiste…” he read, nodding, scanning the rest of the document. “Starsky, it’s ‘loaded for bear’, not bare. Baptiste wasn’t naked.”

“Damn.” Starsky accepted the report back, busily applying white-out. “But he was loaded—on uppers…”

“It means to be ready for anything, as if charged by a bear.” Hutch sat back, wondering if now was the right time to broach a subject he’d wanted to ask about for some time. “I read an article.”

“Good for you.” The tip of his tongue peeking out between his lips, Starsky inserted the paper into the typewriter to correct his spelling.

“Do you know dyslexia?”

“Nah, but if she’s pretty, I’ll buy her a drink.” Poking at the correct keys, he completed his work.

“It’s a learning disability.” Hutch laced his fingers together. “Which I think you have.”

“What?” Starsky snapped, going from enjoying the banter to angry in under a second. “Whadda mean by that? You think I’m stupid just cause I didn’t go to college?”

“Thing is, the article went on to say that people who get through school despite dyslexia, are actually extremely brilliant,” Hutch continued, braving the fury. He knew it would blow over quickly enough. Starsky’s moods were mercurial but short lived. “When did you learn to read?”

Starsky flushed, his chin tight. He got up so quickly the desk chair nearly pitched over and he had to steady it before grabbing the empty coffee cup. “End a’ second grade.”

“How’d you do it?” Hutch asked gently. He’d immediately recognized that Starsky had nearly every one of the symptoms of dyslexia in the article, and it had only impressed him more that Starsky had accomplished so much in his life.

“Funny story,” Starsky said, pouring coffee. “The girl one floor below us was moving and put this big box of books out on the stoop. Six Nancy Drews and three Bobbsey Twins.” He sat down, giving Hutch the warm, steaming mug. “It was Easter break, which, of course, we didn’t celebrate but I had the measles. My mom brought the box up and put it by my bed.” He mimed opening a book. “I’d never owned a book before. I knew mosta the short words, but I was determined to get through the first one— _The Secret of the Old Clock_.”

He smiled inwardly, and Hutch saw Starsky’s love of books shine through. 

“Took a week, but I did it. Learned to memorize the words cause I couldn’t sound ‘em out. The second one took three days—“

“And the third?” Hutch sipped the coffee.

“Three hours.” Starsky grinned cockily. “Finished the rest of the box in a weekend. Nancy was a corker, but I never did like those Bobbsey twin brats.”

“I had Hardy Boy books.”

“Traded all of ‘em except that first one to a kid down the block. Got four Hardy Boys and a Cherry Ames.” Starsky stapled the report pages together and folded them into the case file. “Still got _Secret of the Old Clock_.”

“Smarter than you look, Starsk,” Hutch said affectionately.

“Hey! I resemble that remark!”


End file.
